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Molyneux: Gaming already "racing ahead to a future" unknown

BAFTA Fellowship winner Peter Molyneux talks about how the videogames space is a changing "incredibly fast" and that we're ahead of film and TV.

Cinema and television have "got to change within themselves" while videogames are constantly evolving. They're an "incredibly important force" globally.

"We’ve been talking about this convergence since Wing Commander in the mid-nineties,” Molyneux said, referring to film, TV and videogames perhaps merging ever closer.

“In a way, I love being inspired by the production quality that TV and film have got – there’s no question about the amount of skill they use to entertain us."

"But to say that we are converging with them doesn’t imply that we have our own place of innovation, and I just feel that things are happening so incredibly fast in video games, with all the changes in input devices, all the social gaming changes, all the mobile changes," continued the veteran game designer, creator of many well known IPs.

“Film and TV feel like that they’re a format that’s got to change within themselves, and we’re already on that train racing ahead to a future that god knows where it will end up.”

Videogames are no fad but a global force. “In today’s world, where you’ve got computer games of all types – through Facebook, Android and Apple, for example – you put them all together and it’s an incredibly important force in all the world,” he said.

"You don’t often talk about the cultural significance of video games in places like China and Korea, but it’s a huge part of culture throughout the world, and very, very accessible too. Now that you don’t have to be locked away in your bedroom to play them, it’s gaming everywhere.” He's been awarded his Fellowship at a 'young age' he says.

"I’m 51 now, so I’m a bit of a spring chicken compared to some of those people,” said Molyneux. “But everyone on that list is fairly impressive – even if you look at Nolan Bushnell, Wright and Miyamoto, they’re incredibly motivational figures.”